- By Supratik Das
- Sat, 22 Nov 2025 05:17 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
In a strongly worded address at the G20 Summit hosted in Africa, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged member nations to “fundamentally rethink” prevailing global development parameters, arguing that conventional models have left vast populations behind while accelerating ecological degradation.
Speaking during the session on “Inclusive and sustainable economic growth leaving no one behind,” the Prime Minister said the world must “redefine development parameters” to ensure equitable growth, resource access, and protection of nature, concerns deeply felt across the African continent.
India Proposes G20 Global Healthcare Response Team
In one of the key announcements, PM Modi proposed the creation of a G20 Global Healthcare Response Team, designed to enable the rapid deployment of trained medical experts anywhere in the world during health emergencies and natural disasters. “We are stronger when we work together. Our effort should be to create teams of trained medical experts from fellow G20 nations who are ready for rapid deployment in case of emergencies,” he said.
The initiative aims to strengthen global preparedness following hard lessons from recent pandemics and climate-driven crises.
Strong Pitch To Counter Drug–Terror Nexus
PM Modi also highlighted the urgent need to curb global drug trafficking, especially the spread of deadly synthetic substances such as fentanyl. He announced India’s proposal for a G20 Initiative on Countering the Drug–Terror Nexus, calling it essential for global security.
“Let us weaken the wretched drug-terror economy,” he said, stressing that the proposed framework would unify financial, governance, and security tools to dismantle trafficking networks and choke illicit funding routes that fuel terrorism.
Major New Initiatives Announced
The Prime Minister unveiled three major global initiatives led by India:
• Global Traditional Knowledge Repository
• G20 Africa Skills Multiplier Initiative
• Global Healthcare response team
• G20 Initiative on Countering the Drug–Terror Nexus
These initiatives, he said, reflect India’s commitment to shared progress and capacity-building across the Global South.
Prime Minister Modi received a warm reception upon his arrival on Friday, where a cultural troupe greeted him at the airport and bowed to him as a sign of respect. His welcome set the tone for a visit that reflects India's long-standing engagement with South Africa.
As part of this continued engagement, the visit marks Prime Minister Modi's fourth official trip to the country, following earlier engagements for the BRICS Summits in 2018 and 2023 and a bilateral visit in 2016. His repeated visits underline the deepening partnership between the two nations.